Open source hardware

Open source is getting a second look by the semiconductor industry, driven by the high cost of design at complex nodes along with fragmentation in end markets, which increasingly means that one size or approach no longer fits all.The open source movement, as we know it today, started in the 1980s with the launch of the GNU project, which was about the time the electronic design automation (EDA) industry was coming into existence. EDA software is used to take high-level logical descriptions of circuits and map them into silicon for manufacturing. EDA software starts in the five digits, even for the simplest of tools, tacking on two or three zeros for a suite of tools necessary to fully process a design. On top of this, manufacturing costs start at several million dollars.In addition, a modern-day chip, such as the one in your cell phone, contains hundreds of pieces of semiconductor intellectual property (IP cores or blocks), and each one of these has to be licensed from a supplier, … [Read more...] about Will Open-Source Work For Chips?

The latest issue of the IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine features a special report on open-source robotics hardware and its impact on the field. We’ve seen how, over the last several years, open source software—platforms like the Robot Operating System (ROS), Gazebo, and OpenCV, among others—has played a huge role in helping researchers and companies build robots better and faster. Can the same thing happen with robot hardware? It’s already happening, says robotics researcher and RAM editor-in-chief Bram Vanderborght, who explains that building hardware has gotten much easier thanks to things like 3D printers, laser cutters, modular open electronics kits, and other rapid prototyping and fabrication techniques. And while “open-source robotics hardware is taking longer to catch on” compared to open-source robotics software, he notes that “several impressive examples exist, taking advantage of benefits of those novel … [Read more...] about How Open-Source Robotics Hardware Is Accelerating Research and Innovation

While open-source hardware is already available for CPUs, researchers from the Vertical Research Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have announced at the Hot Chips Event in Cupertino, Calif., that they have created the first open source general-purpose graphics processor (GPGPU). Called MIAOW, which stands for Many-core Integrated Accelerator Of the Waterdeep, the processor is a resistor-transistor logic implementation of AMD's open source Southern Islands instruction set architecture. The researchers published a white paper on the device. The creation of MIAOW is the latest in a series of steps meant to keep processor development in step with Moore's Law, explains computer scientist Karu Sankaralingham, who leads the Wisconsin research group. “We need innovative new hardware modules, new types of processors, new types of hardware accelerators, and so on,” he says. Open source hardware represents a … [Read more...] about Say Hello to MIAOW, the First Open Source Graphics Processor

At IROS 2012, Gill Pratt declared that grasping was solved, which was a bit of a surprise for all the people doing grasping research. Grasping, after all, is the easiest thing ever, as long as you know absolutely everything there is to know about the thing that you want to grasp. The tricky bit now is perception: recognizing what the object that you want to grasp is, where it is, and how it’s oriented. This is why robots are festooned with all sorts of sensing things, but if all you care about is manipulating an object that you’re familiar with already, dealing with vision is a lot of work. Liatris is an open-source hardware and software project (led by roboticist Mark Silliman) that does away with vision completely. Instead, you can determine the identity and pose of slightly modified objects with just a touchscreen and an RFID reader. It’s simple, relatively inexpensive, and as long as you’re not trying to deal with anything new, it works … [Read more...] about Open Source Project Proposes Vision-Free Grasping With RFID and Touchscreens

Software has become easier to customize in the past decade, but hardware, for the most part, remains closed: Apple’s battle to keep people from hacking the iPhone is a case in point. Although most consumer electronics are collections of smaller devices–cell phones typically include cameras and voice recorders, for example–users can’t swap out the devices or modify the way they work. Bug Labs, a startup based in New York City, is hoping to change that with its new device, the Bug, scheduled to start shipping late this year. The Bug would allow users to design their own electronics and customize them however they want. CEO Peter Semmelhack explains that the foundation of the device is the Bugbase, a minicomputer running Linux that users can program. It has ports for up to four device modules, which snap in and out of place. Among the first modules the company expects to offer will be a GPS system, a camera, a motion sensor, and an LCD screen. But it also plans … [Read more...] about Open-Source Hardware

Kickstarter, let’s face it, is a brilliant proposition. Someone talented, creative comes forward with a lovely idea that’s both interesting and innovative enough to jumpstart to something big. Tech aficionados love the idea of Kickstarter as the perfect place for setting up innovative hardware projects. But, what if you want to drink from the glass of success slowly and steadily? What if you want to try your product among a group of people who get your item or idea? As the DIY-maker insurgency continues to ride on full-speed, with the potential to pervade through mainstream culture, there are endless possibilities for businesses to ride on the kickstart-jumpstart wave. For one startup, it didn’t exactly start out with the maker movement in mind, instead it hoped to benefit from the “prosumerism” explosion that is taking place in the tech world today.Tindie is an independent, less glamorous niche - hardware marketplace for consumers and hobbyists that could … [Read more...] about Tindie, The Largest Collection of Open-Source Hardware on the Planet

The term "open source" has long been associated with software development, but when the philosophy is applied to filmmaking, it takes on a whole new meaning. As movie production tools become more readily available and groups of creative minds put their heads together on scripts, Hollywood might want to take notice. It seems the open source method of filmmaking is ready for its closeup.Since the advent of the movie industry, the process has remained largely unchanged. A writer creates a script, finds someone willing to invest money in producing it, and a director is brought in to oversee the film's production.While that process is still typical of most movie-making ventures, more and more independent filmmakers are turning toward open source tools and methods to produce their projects.For many filmmakers, the economics alone make open source filmmaking an attractive option. When free or low-cost production tools like CinePaint and Blender are combined with free hosting services like … [Read more...] about Open Source: Ready for Its Closeup

Open source hardware startup Ouya looked to kickstart funding of its Android-based game console, and the effort has resulted in more than nine times the amount it sought.Ouya had asked to backers to pledge US$950,000 through the Kickstarter website, and the total climbed to nearly $8.6 million as of Thursday, the day the campaign was scheduled to end.In addition to individual pledges, the company has gotten support from large game publishers including Square Enix, the developer of the "Final Fantasy" series, and Namco Bandai, the developer of the "Soul Calibur" franchise. Last month, Ouya also announced a partnership to provide content from the OnLive game streaming service.With the money all but in the bank, Ouya reportedly plans to launch the console in April of next year, and has begun taking pre-orders via its website.The system could also change what has been the traditional dynamic for video games since the days of the Atari in the late 1970s."The TV/Console combination is a … [Read more...] about Oh Yeah! Ouya Raises Big Money for Open Source Game Console

You're an IT manager responsible for keeping your infrastructure up and running while squeezing every bit of value from your budget. You're interested in the latest trends and have done your research. Many enterprises rely on their existing vendors for guidance on these trends and probably recommend their own cloud offerings -- the same vendors with six-figure pricing and annual release cycles that are often lagging behind the latest technology developments.If you are tired of maximizing your IT spend and minimizing the time you have to actually improve rather than implement your systems, perhaps it's time to look at the robust, enterprise-grade open source tools available for cloud computing deployment and management.The world of open source software -- with its flexibility, aggressive release cycles, and tendency to integrate with other software to perform complex tasks -- is an ideal place to look for improvements in your enterprise IT infrastructure. So what kind of free and open … [Read more...] about EXPERT ADVICE Wringing More Value From Enterprise Cloud Computing With Open Source

Hologram on Thursday launched Nova, the first open source modem for cellular connectivity.Nova is a USB cellular modem purpose-built for Internet of Things development. Its Hologram software tools are compatible with most single board computers, such as Raspberry Pi.The Nova modem is open source and unlocked, so its use is not limited to Hologram's SIMs. Though it targets the developer community, it has potential uses for everyone from makers to system architects. It sells for US$49.Nova comes with the Hologram Python SDK, which makes cellular connectivity intuitive for Single Board Computers (SBC) like the Raspberry Pi family, Beagle Boards, CHIP and Debian-based systems, according to Pat Wilbur, CTO of Hologram."The product is already being well received. There is no industrial-grade equivalent to this. We have seen a lot of interest in a short period of time," he told LinuxInsider.Nova is certified through the Open Source Hardware Association. Both the Nova design files and the … [Read more...] about Hologram Debuts Open Source Cellular Modem for IoT